Rail-joint.



G. P. EUSTIS. RAIL JOINT APPLICATION FILED 1111.11 1911.

Patnted Mar. 26, 1912.

wh m? QMQ cm 61% GEORGE r. EUSTIS, or wasnmerolv, DISTRICT orcoLoMBIA.

ITO all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Gnonor: P. Evsris, a

citizen of the United States, rcsiding'at Washington, in the District. .of Columbia,- have invented new and useful Improvements in Rail-Joints, of which .the following is a. specification.

'My invention relates to a railroad rail joint, the objects being to obtain greater strength at the union of rails, the avoidance of thumping or jar heretofore incident to the breaks in the continuity of the railsat unions; to admit of the expansion and contraction-of the rails under changesin temperature, and to cheapen and give greater durability and safety .to the permanent way of railroads.

To these main ends my invention, generally speaking, relates to the formationof the meetingiends of rails and overlapping thesame, and to the construction of the tie plates and the relative arrangement between them and the rail ends. It may be briefly stated, as generally introductory to a fuller description of my invention, that the end of each of th two adjacent-rails is bent ortofi .s'r'. laterally to a prescribed length and that the head is cut away on one side in line with the uncut web, while an equal length of the base flange is also removed leaving a space i the inner edge-of which is in line withthe web, so that when the -adjacent ends of two rails are brought together a double web will be present at the oint and the properly shouldered end of each of said rails will closely fit a correspondingly shouldered portier. of the other rail, therebyforming a smooth-surfaced head for the treads of passin wheels.

in the accompanying drawing, which 1 shows one embodiment of the invention, Figure 1 is a plan view of the improved rail joint. Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view' of the rail joint in line with the fastening bolts. Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fi 4 .is a perspective view of one end of a mi ready for use, and

F1 5 1s a plan view of the improved rarl on showin in dotted lines the shape of the rail after t e bending of the same and before bisecting of the head and base flange.

- "A indicates one rail and B the other or adjoining rail. An-end of each rail is oil'- set for suitable length or bentto one side, such bendin of the ends of the respective rails being right and left. After offsetting Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January'll, 1911. Serial No, 602,116,

'elim inated.

Patented Hal".

or bcnding the endoi each rail, pin t'ionsfiof the head and base flange 2-3 are removed from-each rail end in the plane of the'snlc of web-.4, the latter beinL let't iinactfi'lhe removal of a port ton of the head'z! anda part of the base flange .3 from he sideuot' each rail end leaves a recess 5,-the side of winch forms, by preference, :1 right-angle with the end of the cut portions of the head and base. respectively.

The features thus far describ ed willrbe i understood by reference more especially-to Figs. 4 and 5, while other elements if-the invention will be explained inthe following description of the assemblageof the several parts. a I Referring to the plan view, Fig.1, it-will be seen that the ends 1-1 of the rails A and B, respectively, are overlapped, the .twobisected parts ofthe head meeting on the line ,7'andendmg at 6. The terminals 6 are nt a right angle to the adjacent side of the recess 5 as seen in Fig. 4, and the separation be tween the ends admitsof movement of the rails'under expansion and contraction, which is further provided for as hereinafter described.

-Iteferring nowto the horizontal section,

Fig. 2, the'ovcrlapping of the offset webs 4 35 at the joint is clearly shown, and to complete the joint fish plates 8 are themselves offset or bent in a manner similar to that already described with reference to the rail ends. Bolts, as indicated, are used for the attmrlnncnt of the fish plates to each other and the webs of the rail. At the ri ht and left of Fig. 2 it will be seen that the bolts pass through round holes, the single webs 4 and the single lish plates 8, there being, 5

therefore, no movement atthe points occupied by the outer ends of these plates; but at. the central portion of the joint the bolts which pass through the two web members 4 and the two fish plates 8 occupy elongated holes shown alsoin Fig. 4:, by which arrangement the expansion and contraction is ctlcctively provided for.

My Invention furnishes a, smooth surface for the wheels which'in their passage over the rails do not. meotiwith the usual breaks in the rails, shock and jar being entirely inasmuch as the webs of the two rails are not divided or weakened, but' let t intact. there is practically a double web 1 at, the joint, whereby the greatest weakness. heretofore found in the track is corrected.

Nor is this increased strength in an way impaired but indeed enhanced by the bisecting of the -head, for on bringin v the two ends of the rail together the ful area in cross section of the head is restored with the claim a l. A rail joint comprising the bisected ends of two rails the webs of such ends being offset and overlapped and provided with elongated holes, combined with offset fish I plates the outer member of ea'chof which is rigidly attached to the main portion of the web of one rail, and the inner member of 'each of which has elongated holes corresponding to those in .the offset webs, and bolts completing the union of said inner member and the offset webs, whereby expansion and contraction atthe central portion of the joint is provided for, substantially as set forth.

2. A rail joint comprising twoir'ails an end of each of which has a part of the length of its web offset and a part of the head and also a portion of the base removed, andthe offset lengths of the two rails bein provided with elongated bolt openings, com ined with offset fish plates the inner ends of which have holes corresponding to those of the offset lengths of the-two rails, and the outer ends of which fish plates have non-elongated holes corresponding to bolt holes in the main parts of the webs of the two rails whereby, when the joint is assembled and bolted up, expansion and contraction are allowed at the offset and overlapped union of; the rails and the inner ends of the embracing fish plates, substantially as set- GEORGE P. EUSTIS.

\Vitnessesz- 4 J. L, Tanner, HENRY Don. 

